2016 was a year of many accomplishments for National River Cleanup®. The program celebrated its 25th anniversary this past year with a number of new initiatives and new members to the American Rivers family.

Kept 31,700 pieces of trash out of our waterways through the Pledge; and

Hosted five river cleanups in American Rivers’ priority river basins.

[clickToTweet tweet=”In 2016, 47,648 volunteers removed 3.4 million pounds of trash from rivers – what a feat!” quote=”In 2016, 47,648 volunteers removed 3.4 million pounds of trash from rivers – what a feat!”]

That’s a lot of numbers, and just reading them doesn’t do them justice. Behind all of these statistics are people in every state who worked tirelessly to protect clean water in their neighborhoods.

So, how can we accurately represent the hours put into organizing cleanups, the communities coming together around a common cause, and the difference an individual can make for their hometown river? Pictures.

We’ve loved checking out organizer photos sent in with data results or thrown in our Virtual Landfill using the hashtag #RiverCleanup but we’re ready for more. In order to highlight the hard work of our organizers, volunteers, and supporters over the past year we are happy to announce the start of the 2016 National River Cleanup® 25th Anniversary Photo Contest!

We are accepting submissions until February 10th. At that point, we will select 10 finalists and then turn it over to the public to vote for their favorite. Make sure you check out our rules before entering. The winning photo will become the face of National River Cleanup® in 2017 and be featured on our website and in our publications. Strong contenders will highlight the volunteers and organizers who make our cleanups possible, the river they love, and their favorite cleanup finds filling National River Cleanup® 25th anniversary trash bags.

We look forward to seeing all your great 2016 cleanup photos and learning the stories behind your cleanup. Good luck!